Cai Wenjia, a professor at Tsinghua University's Department of Earth System Science and director of the Lancet Countdown Asia Center, speaks during the launch of the 2024 China Lancet Countdown report at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Nov. 5, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Lancet Countdown Asia Center]

The worsening climate is increasingly endangering public health and threatening economic and social systems that underpin people's well-being, according to a report released Tuesday.

The 2024 China report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, published by the Lancet Countdown Asia Center in Beijing, marks the fifth such assessment. The study monitors climate change health risks in China through 2023, along with the country's adaptation and mitigation efforts.

The report found that the health impacts of rising temperatures have been substantial. China faced extreme hot and dry weather conditions in 2023, with record-high temperatures and the second-lowest precipitation since 2012. These conditions led to a 309% surge in heatwave-related deaths, a 24% rise in lost work hours and diminished opportunities for outdoor activities.

"The health risks of climate change are not in the far future. They're imminent threats in front of us," said Cai Wenjia, professor at Tsinghua University's Department of Earth System Science and director of Lancet Countdown Asia Center.

"Although already dangerous, recent health risks might be just a glimpse of even worse ones to come," Cai said.

The report projects that by the 2060s, annual average heatwave-related mortality, heat-related labor productivity losses and wildfire-related deaths will increase 183%-275% and 28%-37%, respectively, compared with 1986-2005 averages. Additionally, the annual excess risk of dengue fever incidence is expected to rise by 15.3%-15.5% from 2013-2019 levels.

"It is another wake-up call that the climate crisis is the health crisis," said Martin Taylor, WHO representative to China. He noted that dealing with climate-related health risks may become the new normal.

Given unprecedented climate challenges, the report pointed out that China had taken considerable steps by 2023 to integrate health concerns into climate change discourse, particularly emphasizing the need for renewable energy in promoting a fair transition. "This shift promises not only environmental and economic benefits, but also public health benefits," the report stated.

The report outlined China's specific initiatives in addressing climate change. The country established the "1+N policy framework" to realize its goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality before 2060. Moreover, it has released the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035 and the National Climate Change Health Adaptation Action Plan (2024-2030) to combat climate-related health risks and enhance public health protection.

Regarding carbon emission reduction, China represented more than half of the global increase in renewable energy capacity in 2023. This increase pushed the country's total renewable capacity to surpass coal power installations for the first time.

"This effort has significantly accelerated global initiatives made at the Conference of the Parties 28 (COP 28), which is to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 and reduce fossil fuel dependence," Cai said. 

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